ACCEPTABILITY OF RICE-BASED AND FLAVORED GLUCOSE-BASED ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTIONS - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

The acceptability of prepackaged rice-based (Oresol-R) and flavoured ( Oresol-F) glucose-based oral rehydration salts (ORS) solutions was com pared with that of standard glucose-based ORS (Oresol-G) in a randomiz ed field trial. Additionally, it is determined if presenting rice-base d ORS as a solution that would help stop diarrhoea (Oresol-K) enhanced its acceptability. A total of 437 non-dehydrated children aged less t han five years presenting to health centres with acute diarrhoea were randomly assigned to the three ORS groups. Acceptability was determine d by the amounts of ORS consumed at home by children still with diarrh oea on 24- or 48-hour follow-up. The amounts of ORS consumed by childr en given Oresol-R (54 [95% CL 38-70] mL/kg/24 h) and Oresol-F (47 [24- 70]) were similar to the amount of Oresol-G (44 [32-56]). ORS consumpt ion was not affected by the child's age, nutritional status, feeding b efore the episode, duration of diarrhoea at health centre visit, mater nal education and previous ORS use. Informing the caretaker that rice- based ORS would help stop diarrhoea did not lead to increased consumpt ion of the solution (Oresol-R 54 [38-70] mL/kg/24 h; Oresol-K 50 [32-6 8]). Solution preparation was likewise similar among the treatment gro ups. Reactions to the different ORS types were generally favourable bu t did not differ between the groups.